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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2002
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Liquor Referendum Will Be on November Ballot for Town of
Bruceton |
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Bruceton citizens will now have the opportunity to choose
if they wish package liquor sales in their community.
Following the securing of at least 44 signatures from
qualified voters in the Town of Bruceton; Election
Registrar Linda Radford has certified the petition to be
legal with 49 signatures confirmed as accurate and legal.
That means that a referendum to determine the sale of
package liquor will be on the November ballot for citizens
of Bruceton. Mrs. Radford noted that there were several
signatures provided by qualified voters, which were not
allowed due to inaccurate listings of residence.
The referendum most recently appeared on the ballot in
2000 and was defeated by registered voters 303-270.
Members of Bruceton's Town Council have previously noted
that while they would like to find other avenues for tax
monies, the recent increase in property tax has forced
Mayor Robert T. Keeton III and board member Steven
Pinkston to believe that this might be a partial solution
to the money problems facing the small community.
Presently Bruceton is owed property taxes from
Siegel/Durango and although they have taken all legal
steps necessary to collect those thousands of dollars, are
faced with waiting until the legalities of bankruptcy
court are resolved. |
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McKenzie School Board Welcomes One New Member |
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By Deborah Turner
dturner@mckenziebanner.com |
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The McKenzie Special School District Board of
Education, in their first meeting of the new school year,
saw one new and two returning board members pledge to
uphold their oath of office in fresh terms on the school
board. Joe Fortner is new to the board this year with
Mildred Sneed and Van Ramsey winning their bids for
re-election.
Ruth Carroll was chosen to remain chairman of the board
with Jill Holland elected vice chairman. Mildred Sneed was
elected treasurer; Clay Kirk was voted Tennessee
Legislation Network member; and Jack Hall was elected as
his alternate.
The McKenzie Board of Education Policy Manual was updated
with the passage, on second reading, of amendments to the
policies regarding staff positions and substitute
teachers.
The "Staff Positions" policy was amended with respect to
recall of teachers released because of the abolition of
their position. A preferred reemployment list for these
teachers will be maintained for a period of two years,
with the teacher assuming responsibility for the currency
of his or her contact information. After the initial
two-year period, teachers may keep their names on the list
by contacting the director of schools in writing prior to
April 15 of the second year and each subsequent year. A
teacher who refuses the offer of a comparable position
will be removed from the preferred list. Teachers
rejoining the school system will have all previously
accrued sick leave and seniority reinstated but will not
receive benefits during the interim period.
The new "Substitute Teachers" policy states criminal
history checks and fingerprinting is required for all
applicants, and applicants with a license in revoked
status will not be hired.
While substitute teachers may only be employed from a list
of approved substitutes, teachers' aides, secretaries and
clerks can be used in emergency situations requiring less
than a full day of work. Teachers substituting for a
regular teacher who has been absent for 20 consecutive
days must possess an appropriate teaching certificate in
the field of study being taught. Retired teachers may work
100 days per year without loss of retirement benefits plus
an additional 90 days if the director of the school system
certifies no other qualified personnel are available.
Substitute teachers are required to attend an orientation
session at the beginning of each school year and the
school system is responsible for providing other
appropriate training and development programs. Substitute
teacher assume not only the academic role of an absent
teacher but must also perform other responsibilities such
as bus duty and playground supervision. The director of
schools and principals determine the adequacy of
performance of all substitute teachers annually,
determining the continuations of eligibility of each
teacher. Substitutes are responsible for keeping their
contact information current.
Discussion of the updates prompted board members to
revisit last year's proposal to upgrade the salary of
degreed or certified substitute teachers. Currently,
degreed personnel are paid $45.00 per day while
substitutes without degrees earn $39.00 per day. With Jill
Holland, Van Ramsey and Joe Fortner each voicing a desire
to raise the standard if feasible, Mr. Ward advised he
would study the issue and mail the resulting information
to board members for consideration on the next agenda. |
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Paris Guard Unit Ordered to Mobilize; Others Alerted |
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Paris National Guard unit is being called up for
mobilization later this month.
Company C of the 46th Engineer Battalion, the Tennessee
Army National Guard unit in Paris, will be mobilized at
its home station September 28, according to Randy Harris,
director of public affairs for the Tennessee National
Guard.
Harris stated that the unit is then scheduled to move to a
mobilization station at Fort Polk, Louisiana on October 1.
When and where the unit will ultimately deploy to their
final duty station has not been determined.
About 120 soldiers are involved in the mobilization.
In addition, the 3rd Battalion, 115 Field Artillery in
Memphis and Covington are alerted for possible
mobilization as a result of the Presidential declaration
on September 14, according to Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the
Guard's adjutant general.
"While the unit is not currently ordered to mobilize, they
are conducting sensible planning and making preparations
in the event we are called," said General Hargett. "We are
trained, ready, and committed to do whatever the national
command authority deems necessary." |
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Planning Commission Recommends Annexation of Holland
Property - Proposed Veterinarian Business Wins Rezoning
Bid |
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By Deborah Turner
dturner@mckenziebanner.com |
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The McKenzie Planning Commission on Monday, September 9,
approved a recommendation that the Holland Farm be
annexed as part of a bid by Dr. David Wayne Lott that
the Jehovah's Witness property on Highway 22 be re-zoned
from residential to business in order that he might
relocate his veterinary practice to the former church
building. The recommendation was one of two alternatives
set forth by City Planning Engineer Jack Brown as a way
of accommodating Dr. Lot's request while avoiding
spot-zoning of the Jehovah's Witness property.
The recommendation will go before the City Council
Thursday evening after which, if approved on first
reading, a public hearing will be announced giving
citizens 15 days notice of the hearing and second
reading of the proposal.
The approved annexation recommendation was "Alternate A"
of the two proposals considered by the board. As shown
in the accompanying illustration, the proposal would
extend the city limits parallel to Highway 22 to the
Carroll-Henry County line and follow the county line
west to the existing city limits, taking in all the area
outside the current city limits south of the county line
and east of College Drive.
Zoning of the "Alternate A" plan would place the
majority of the annexed area in R-1 (low density
residential) as a "holding zone" pending future
development while the land along either side of Highway
22, including the lot currently owned by the Jehovah's
Witnesses (which is not included in the annexation),
will be zoned B-2 (Highway Business).
"Alternate B" proposed the annexation of 400 ft. of
property on either side of Highway 22 adjacent to the
property requested for rezoning by Dr. Lott.
Mr. Brown stated, in recommending the board approve the
"Alternate A" annexation plan, "The area is already
nearly surrounded by the existing corporate limits. The
annexation of this area at this time is timely in that
most municipal services can be provided immediately. In
addition, the City has recently extended College Drive
to Highway 22 and is taking bids on Thursday, September
12, to complete the paving. There will come a point in
time when you will have to annex that territory. I think
that time is now. You can't have an island inside the
corporate limits - you can't have a circle within a
circle - it has to be brought in."
He agreed with the commissioners' assessments that it is
in the City's best interests to allow the development of
commercial interests along Highway 22, saying, "The
widening of Highway 22 to a four lane highway and the
extension of College Drive has enhanced the potential
for commercial development in this general area. Highway
22 is now linked directly with the City's Central
Business District via College Drive. The area west of
College Drive is zoned M-2 (Heavy Industrial) and has
generally developed in keeping with the classification." |
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or
Fax (731) 352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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